Sewer-gate.



No. 642,624. Patented Feb. 6, |900.

E. mcLAumLm c. c. n. nono. SEWER GATE.

(Application ille! Oct. 14. 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD MCLAUGHLIN AND CHARLES H. DODD, OF BOSTON,

' MASSACHUSETTS.

SEWER-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent N o. 642,624, datedFebruary 6, 1900..

Application filed October 14, 1899. Serial No. 733,616. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD MCLAUGH- LIN and CHARLES H. Donn, citizensof the United States, and residents of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sewer-Gates, of which the following is a speciiication,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a front elevation of a tubular sewergate frame provided witha pair of gates embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe tubular sewer gate fram e,partly in section,showing a gate hingedthereto, the gate end of the frame slanting upwardly and inwardly orbeing vertically inclined inwardly in respect of the lengthwise axis ofthe tubular gate-frame. Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal section online 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4. is a transverse horizontal section on line44 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail at line 5 5 of Fig. 1, of theadjustable hinge member which is socketed and clamped in a socketintegral with the gate-frame. Fig. G is an enlarged cross-sectional viewof an elastic obturating-strip of novel construction. Fig. 7 illustratesa modification in which the hinge member is adjustable in the socket inthe masonry surrounding the gate-frame instead of being adjustable in asocket integral With the gate-frame as in the preceding figures. Fig.Sis another modification showing in a top plan viewa single gate hingedto a gate-frame, the gate end of which is in a plane at right angles tothe lengthwise axis of the frame.

The object of our invention is to provide a sewer-gate which iswater-tight when closed, admits of readyadjustment on and itting to bothnew and old sewergate frames, and even when submerged is adapted toclose tight without the use of bridle-chains and weights or otherexterior gate-closing devices.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of our invention and the bestmode now known to us of applying that principle, A is a tubularsewer-gateframe of metal and is adapted for inclosure in the end of asewerwall A'.

here shown in the preferred embodiment of our invention is adapted fordouble gates in- The particular form of .gate-frame stead of for singlegates, and has its sides at the right and left of a vertical planepassing through its longitudinal axis inclined rearwardly, as at a a,as'shown in Fig. y3. The end 5 5 wall a or seat of the gate-frame alsoslants upwardly and rearwardly-that is, rearwardly from a vertical planeat right angles to its length-wise axis and in front of the gates.

Frame A is provided with the integral out- 6o wardly-extending lugs a3a3 for one gate B and with the correspondinglugs a4 a4 for the othergate B'. The gates B and B' each comprises in its construction aplurality of timl bers b, that are bored coincidently at suitable v ofslightly-greater diameter than the diame- 7o ter of the binding-rods, asshown in fulllines in Fig. 4 and as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l,in order that when the gate is subjected to the great force of tidalwaters there may be a little yield or playof the gate-timbers b one inrelation to another, so as to enable the gate to seat itself tightlyupon the end Wall or seat a' of the gate-frame. The ends of thebinding-rods b4 are provided with suitable heads b, one of the headsordinarily 8o being an integral head and the other a nut, and theseserving' to bind the timbers properly on the rods. The heads on theinner edge of the gates are contained in suitable recesses a5 for apurpose hereinafter set 85 forth, and it is desirable that the outeredges of the gates should be countersunk to receive the heads on theouter ends of the clampingrods, as shown, in order that the rod-headsmay not form projections on which sewage 9o may lodge.

We have found in practice that sewer-gates made up of a plurality oftimbers secured together upon transverse rods or bolts, as set forth,possess a certain degree of flexibility under the great pressure oftides and that this flexibility enables the tidal force to push thegates tight upon the seat formed by the inner edge or end wall a of thegate-frame,

the timbers even though swollen having some '1 oo littlc play ormovability one in relation to another, which causes them to yieldsufiicently to make a water-tight joint when the tidal force is exertedto hold the gates closed. The advantage of this tlexible gate is thatunder tidal pressure it will conform to the seat even though the seat bequite irregular. Each constituent timber will tend to conform andpractically adjust itself under tidal pres- A tight jointin most casesat least.

sure to the shape of seat when the piececomes in contact therewith. Theinner surfaces of the gate are provided with a novel form ofobturating-strip D of elastic material, each strip D being a half-ringwhere double gates are used. Our new obturating-strip is made with athick middle part al and with relatively thin margins d', through whichthe nails or fasteners d2 pass into the gate. The thick middle part isof a lengthwise shape that corresponds to the curve or shape of end Wallct', and when the gate (or gates) is closed the thick middle part CZ,the surface of which is free from fasteners, is pressed hard against theend wall a. As the fasteners d2 are removed from the contacting surfacesof the end wall a and thick middle part d of the obturatingstrip, apractically perfect joint is insured when the gate is closed, thefasteners not being in said line of contact, as heretofore, andconsequently not impeding the free and ready compression of theobturatingstrip. We prefer to make the middle part d of theobturating-strips of from half to three-quarters of an inch thick,according to the size of the gates, or even thicker, so that in casesmall pebbles or chips or the like are caught between theobturating-strips and wall a' when the gate is closing the same may beforced into the outer surface of the strip and at the same time lea'veenough elastic material underneath the embedded substance to permit suchcompression as will still effect a water- The inner edge of gate B' isshown provided with an obturating-strip cl3, the inner outside margin ofwhich contacts with the inner vertical corner of the gate B just beforethe gates are seated. The further seating movement of the gates B Bconsequently compresses the obturatingstrip d3 and forms a water-tightjoint at the meeting of the gates.

To effect the closing of the gates (or gate) when they are submerged andthe movement of the waters is not great enough to otherwise close thegates, (a condition that occasionally prevails, owing to extreme hightides and storm water,) We provide each gate with a weight W, embeddedin the gate, the Weight being sufficiently heavy and of a specificgravity greater than that of the water to enable the gate to movethrough the inclosing body of water. The consequence is that thesoweighted gate closes itself when submerged, the upward-and-inwardinclination of the Wall or seat a', above described, and thecorresponding upward-and-inward inclination of the gates upon theirhinges facilitating the closing of the submerged gate under theinfluence of its weight.

It will be apparent that, first, the described obturating devices and,second, the combination ofaweighted gate for the purpose described witha sewer-gate frame the end wall or gate-seat of which is upwardly andinwardly inclined, as well as, third, the combination of a pair of gateswith a sewer-gate frame the front wall of which slants rearwardly from avertical plane, though the lengthwise axis of the gate-frame, arefeatures of our invention which may be utilized in sewer-gatesindependently of the elastic or yielding construction thereof abovedescribed.

Another and very important feature of our invention lies in the meansnow to be described for adjusting the gates to the gateframes. Theoutwardly-extending lugs a3 and a of the gate-frame are boredhorizontally at f in the direction of the lengthwise axis of the frame,and the bores freceive the Shanks of the hinge members f', which are asliding fit in bores or recesses j' and which are held therein in anydesired adjusted position by the set-screws f2,which pass throughorifices in the outer portions of the lugs and impinge on the Shanks ofthe hinge members The outer ends of the set-screws f2 are formed withangular heads, which are contained within the annulus f3, extendingoutwardly on the lug. The outer ends of the setscrews are thus covered,so that they do not form projections for the lodgment of sewage, and arekept practically free for the ready application of a wrench. The hingemembers f4 are connected with hinge members f' by suitable means, suchas the pintle f5. Members f4 are preferably counterparts of members f',so as to be formed from the same patterns, and are a sliding iit inrecesses f6 in the rear edge of the gate, each iirst passing through asuitable hole through the arm f7 of the two-armed bracket f8, fast onthe gate. The holes through the bracket-arms f7 are coincident with therecesses f6 in the edge of the gate, which, with the bracket f8 fast onit, is adjustable edgewise onthe hinge members f4. Brackets f8 areprovided with an orifice which receives a set-screw f, the inner end ofwhich impinges on the shank of hinge memberf7 and holds the same tightlyin theV gate, according to edgeWise-adjusted position thereof, thebracket-arm fT being against the outer edge of the gate and the otherarm of bracket f8 being fast on the outer surface of the gate andextending only a short distance from the outer edge of the gate towardthe inner edge thereof. By thus confining the short outer arm of thebracket to the margin of the outer portion of the gate the main body ofthe gate is left more or less flexible, accordingto its construction,and this arrangement of the outerarm-of the bracket is especiallydesirable wherev the `gates'are composed of a plurality of timbers boundtogether as above described and possessing the peculiar flexibilitymentioned.

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If the outer bracket members extended from edge to edge of the gate,they would stien the gate and tend to overcome the desired elasticitythereof. The ends of the set-screws ff are preferably protected by beinglocated XIS within tubular projections of the brackets.

In Fig. 7, illustrating a modification, We show the socket for the hingemembers mounted in the masonry A', surrounding the gateframe, instead ofin a recess in a lug integral with the gate-frame.

In Fig. 8, illustrating another modification, we show a single gate adjustably hinged by the described adjustable hinging mechanism to agate-frame, the gate end or seat of which is inclined rearwardlyinrelation to the lengthwise axis of the frame.

What We claim isl. The combination, in a sewer-gate, with a plurality ofgate-forming pieces mounted one against anotherand formed withcoincident transverse bolt-holes, of a plurality of transverselocking-bolts through said holes, the bolts being of a diameterless-than the diameter of the holes.

2. The combination of a gate-frame; an eyebolt-socket therein; aneyebolt adjustable endwise in said socket; means for holding saideyebolt in said socket; ahinge member operatively connected With saideyebolt; and a gate mounted and edgewise adjustable on said hingemember.

3. The combination of a gate-frame; an eyebolt-socket thereat; aneyebolt adjustable endwise in said socket; means for holding saideyebolt in said socket; a hinge member operatively connected with saideyebolt;

v and a gate mounted and edgewise adjustable on the hinge member; thegate comprisinga plurality of pieces mounted one against another andformed with the coincident transverse bolt-holes and a plurality oftransverse locking-bolts through said holes; the bolts being of adiameter less than that of the boltholes; and the contact of the hingemember with the gate being confined to the rear edge portion of thegate.

4. The combination of a sewer-gate frame having a reversely-beveled endand having lugs provided each with a socket and a screwhole withhalf-gates made up of a plurality of timbers secured together bytransverse bolts and provided with hinged members, each comprising aneyebolt adjustable in said socket.

5. The combination of a sewer-gate frame having lugs provided each witha socket and screw-hole with half-gates made up of a plurality oftimbers secured together by transverse bolts and provided with hingedmembers, each comprising an eyebolt adjustable in said socket.

6. The combination of a sewer-gate frame with a pair of gateseach madeup of a plu-I rality of timbers secured together by transverse bolts;hinged members mounted transversely on said gates; means for adjustingsaid gates on said hinged members, complementary hinged members, andsupports therefor; the complementary hinged members being adjustabletoward and from the mouth of said fra-me.

7. In a gate, the combination of a gate; a hinge; a hinge-pin; aneyebolt sliding in a socket at the gate-frame; the said gate-frame; andmeans to secure said eyebolt in position in said socket.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a tidegate made up of twohalf-gates,the component parts of each half-gate being bound together bybolts extending transversely through the pieces from side to side of thehalf gate; the inner ends of the said bolts being countersunk; and theinner faces of both of said half-gates being faced with Waterproofpacking, and the inner side of one of said halfgates being covered withwaterproof packupwardly and rearwardly slantin g gate-frame with a gateand means for hinging the gate in operative relation to the gate-frame;with the top of the gate inclined upwardly and rearwardly from thevertical according to the upward-and-rearward' slant of the gateframe;said gate being weighted at its lower part whereby the gateautomatically closes when submerged.

l0. In a sewer-gate, the combination of a gate-frame and a gate hingedthereat with an obturating-strip which has a thick obturating portionand relatively thin margins, the strip being attached by its margins, tothe inner surface of the gate with the thick part of the strip inposition to engage the gate-frame when the gate is closed.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

EDWARD MCLAUGHLIN. CHARLES H. DODD. Witnesses:

E. A. ALLEN, EDWARD S..BEAOH.

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